An Introduction to Organic Geochemistry, 2nd Edition

by Stephen D. Killops (Open University); Vanessa J. Killops

• ISBN13: 9780632065042
• ISBN10: 0632065044
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

An Introduction to Organic Geochemistry explores the fate of organic matter of all types, biogenic and man-made, in the Earth System. investigates the variety of pathways and biogeochemical transformations that carbon compounds can experience over a range of time scales and in different environments scope widened to provide a broad and up-to-date background - structured to accommodate readers with varied scientific backgrounds essential terminology is defined fully and boxes are used to explain concepts introduced from other disciplines further study aided by the incorporation of carefully selected literature references It investigates the variety of pathways and biogeochemical transformations that carbon compounds can experience over a range of time scales and in different environments.

Author Biography

Dr Steve Killops has been active in the field of organic geochemistry for some 20 years, in both academic and commercial sectors. He is a former lecturer in organic geochemistry at Royal Holloway College, London University and more recently the organic geochemist at the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences in New Zealand. He is currently a consultant petroleum geochemist.

Vanessa Killops is a geologist and organic geochemist and has worked in petroleum exploration. She has also worked in New Zealand at the Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences as a contract geological scientist and in the UK on a consultancy basis.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Acknowledgements	ix
Carbon, the Earth and life	1	(29)
Carbon and the basic requirements of life	1	(1)
Chemical elements, simple compounds and their origins	2	(3)
The origin of life	5	(10)
Evolution of life and the atmosphere	15	(8)
Major contributors to sedimentary organic matter	23	(7)
Chemical composition of organic matter	30	(41)
Structure of natural products	30	(5)
Carbohydrates	35	(5)
Amino acids and proteins	40	(3)
Lipids	43	(19)
Lignins, tannins and related compounds	62	(5)
Nucleotides and nucleic acids	67	(2)
Geochemical implications of compositional variation	69	(2)
Production, preservation and degradation of organic matter	71	(46)
How and why organic-rich deposits form	71	(1)
Controls on primary production	71	(18)
Preservation and degradation of organic matter	89	(20)
Depositional environments associated with accumulation of organic matter	109	(8)
Long-term fate of organic matter in the geosphere	117	(49)
Diagenesis	117	(2)
Humic material	119	(3)
Coal	122	(10)
Kerogen	132	(12)
Catagenesis and metagenesis	144	(18)
Temporal and geographical distribution of fossil organic carbon	162	(4)
Chemical stratigraphic concepts and tools	166	(80)
Biologically mediated transformations	166	(3)
Examples of source indicators in Recent sediments	169	(5)
Diagenesis at the molecular level	174	(22)
Source and environmental indicators in ancient sediments and oil	196	(11)
Thermal maturity and molecular transformations	207	(5)
Palaeotemperature and age measurement	212	(9)
Maturity of ancient sedimentary organic matter	221	(13)
Isotopic palaeontology	234	(12)
The carbon cycle and climate	246	(49)
Global carbon cycle	246	(8)
Changes in carbon reservoirs over geological time	254	(9)
Palaeoclimatic variations	263	(17)
Isotopic excursions at period boundaries	280	(5)
Human influence on the carbon cycle	285	(10)
Anthropogenic carbon and the environment	295	(27)
Introduction	295	(1)
Halocarbons	295	(3)
Hydrocarbon pollution in aquatic environments	298	(6)
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals	304	(4)
Environmental behaviour of selected xenobiotic compounds	308	(9)
Factors affecting the fate of anthropogenic components	317	(5)
Appendix 1 SI units used in this book	322	(1)
Appendix 2 SI unit prefixes	323	(1)
Appendix 3 Geological time scale	324	(1)
References	325	(38)
Index	363